Wrench.



s. A. HOLMAN. WRENCH;

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 26. 1909.

976,740. Patented 'Nov. 22, 1910.

ICE.

WRENCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN A. HOLMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Santa Maria, in the county of Santa Barbara and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inlVrenches, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of this invention is a simple and durableconstruction of wrench which may be used with equal facility andeffectiveness as a nut Wrench or a pipe wrench.

The invention also has for an object an improved wrench which may beoperated easily as a ratchet wrench or the jaws secured firmly andrigidly against the work. And the invention also has for its object togenerally improve this class of devices and produce a tool of thischaracter, the parts of which may be cheaply manufactured and readilyassembled. I

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions,arrangements and combina tions of the parts that I shall hereinafterfully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one embodiment ofthe invention; Fig. 2 is a. transverse sectional. view on the line 22 ofFig. 1; Fig. 3 is aside elevation, partly broken away, of a portion of awrench embodying a modification of the invention; Fig. t is a transversesectional view on the line 4t of Fig. 5; Fig. 5 is a section taken onthe line 55 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a jawlocking device which is embodied in that form of the inventionillustrated in Figs. 3, 4t and 5; and, Fig. 7 is a part side elevationand part sectional view, of a portion of a wrench embodying anothermodification.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

In that embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 1, the numerals land 2 designate, respectively, the outer and inner jaws of my improvedwrench, the jaw 1 being formed preferably integral with its shankSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 26, 1909.

Patented Nov. 22, 1910.

Serial No. 529,986.

3 which works through an opening formed in the inner jaw 2. At one sideof the shank 3 the jaws 1 and 2 are formed with corresponding angularfaces aa and 6-1), which may be either toothed or plane, as desired, andon the opposite side of said shank with corresponding plane or toothedworking faces 0.c, preferably disposed in inclined relation to theshank. The jaw 2 is secured to or formed on the outer end of an arm t,and the shank 3 and this arm 4 are pivotally connected at correspondingends between the pairs of ears 5 which are ob liquely disposed inrelation to each other on one end of the handle 6. A. spring 7, whichmay be of any desired character, either coil or flat, is arranged tobear upon the parts with a tendency to rock the arm 4 away from theshank 3. In the present instance I employ for this purpose a fiat orplate spring interposed between the shank 3 and arm 4:, as this type ofspring enables the arm to approach the shank 3 to the maximum extent andthereby economizes space and adapts the wrench to uses where itotherwise could not be put. One end of this spring 7 is secured as byscrews or rivets to one end of the handle 6 between the pairs of ears 5,and the said spring curves, as shown, and extends forwardly between theopposing edges of the shank 3 and arm 4 and is formed at its freeforward end with side edge lugs 8 which embrace the arm l, as clearlyillustrated in the drawings.

From so much of the description as has preceded, taken in connectionwith Fig. 1 of the drawing, it will be understood that in the operationof this embodiment of my invention as a ratchet wrench, the handle 6 isgrasped and tilted with relation to the jaws so as to open the same thedesired extent to embrace the work, and tilted in the opposite directionto cause the aws to come together into engagement with the work, a backand forth motion of the handle manifestly producing a ratchet effectupon the nut or the like to screw the same on or off the bolt, forinstance. The inclined or angular work engaging faces a-a and b t of thejaws l and 2 are to be particularly noted, for by this formation of theparts it will be understood that the two jaw's may be operated withequal facility and effectiveness on either nut or pipe work, the faces aand a being used to engage the nut and the faces a and a in connectionwith the faces bb' rigidly formed wrench and not as a ratchet wrench, Iprovide means whereby the jaw 2 may be rigidly connected 'to the shank8. This means may consist of a milled nut 9, as

best illustrated in Fig. 1, said nut being carried by the jaw 2 andprojecting out from both side faces of the arm 4 thereof,'the turning ofsaid nut in one directlon or the other on the stem of a toothed block 9cansing said block to engage with or disengage from the grooved andtoothed edge 9* of the shank 3, the engagement of the toothed block withthe said shank binding the parts together. V

It is to be understood that my invention is not limited to the use ofthree sets of work engaging faces; that it is not limited to the use oftoothed work engaging faces; and that it is not limited to the use ofthe nut 9 and block 9*, the invention being susceptible of variousmodifications and variations in the construction and arrangement of theparts without departing from the scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims. For instance, as illustrated in Fig. 3, where onemodification of the invention is illustrated, 1 designates the outerjaw, 2 the inner jawthrough which the shank 3 of the outer jaw extends,and 4 the arm on which the inner jaw 2 is formed. In this form of theinvention, the jaws are provided with opposing'work engaging faces whichembody angular portions extending substantially parallel to each other,as indicated at aa and bb the same being either toothed or plane. Inthis form of the device, the shank 3 is toothed or serrated on one edge,as indicated at 10, and is designed for engagement by teeth 11 which areformed on one end of a web 12 constituting part of a block which formsthe work engaging member of the jaw 2 This-web 12 is adaptedto fitwithin a slot or recess 13 formed in the jaw 2 the said recess beingthen enlargedat its inner end, as indicated at 14, and the web beingcorrespondingly enlarged, as indicated at 15, whereby to retain theparts after they have been assembled, whileat the same time permitting amovement of the web so that its teeth 11 will move into or out ofengagement with the teeth 10 of the shank 3 16 designates the laterallyextending outer portion of the block of which the web 12 forms a part,said portion 16 being toothed and constituting the part which directlyengages with the work designed to be engaged by the jaw 2 The web 12isformed in one side with a longitudinally extending groove 17terminating at one end in a cavity 19, a set screw 18 working through.the corresponding side of the jaw2 into the groove 17, and, if screwedup far enough, entering the cavity 19.

I11 the practical use of this form of the invention which has just beendescribed, it

is obvious that the back and forth movement of the handle will effect aratchetaction upon the jaws so as to first tightly engage the work, (nutor pipe, or the like) and then disengage the same to obtain a freshhold. If desired, however, the jaws maybe rigidly held together bymerely moving the block before described until the teeth 11 engage withthe teeth 10 and subsequently tighten the set screw 18 with its endreceived in the cavity 19, the block being thereby prevented frommovement relative to the jaw 2 and tightly holding said jaw in rigidconnection with the shank 3.

For another embodiment of the invention, reference is to be had to Fig.7, wherein l designates the outer jaw, 2 the inner jaw, and 3" the shankof the outer aw, working in the inner jaw 2". a-a and b-Z) are theangularly disposed nut or pipe engaging faces of the two' a-ws. In thisform of the invention the teeth 10 of the shank 3 are not of ratchetformation, but similar to rack teeth, and the inner jaw 2" carries aspur pinion 20 mounted on a stud 21 and designed to engage the teeth10".

While it is not essential to have a set screw in this pinion 20, thesame may be provided with a set screw if desired.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, it

simple, durable and eflicient construction of wrench in which theangular arrangement of the working faces of the jaws renders the toolsufficient as a nut wrench and a pipe wrench, as has been before statedand as is evident from the drawing and description, the wrench may beoperated as a ratchet wrench or the two jaws may be rigidly connectedtogether in engagement with the work. The angular arrangement of the jawfaces causes a direct and forceful binding of the arm and shank carryingthe jaws when strain is placed upon them, which makes the wrenchpractically rigid under strain, while at the same time permitting thejaws to loose their hold upon the work for the ratchet action.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A wrench of the character described, comprising an outer jaw, aninner jaw, a shank secured to the outer jaw and movable through theinner jaw, an arm to which the inner jaw is connected, a handlepivotally 2. A wrench of the character described, comprising an outerjaw, an inner jaw, a shank to which the outer jaw is connected, saidshank being movable through the inner jaw, an arm to which the inner jawis connected, a handle having a pivotal connection with both arm andshank, and a plate spring connected to one end of the handle andextending forwardly between the shank and arm, the forward free end ofsaid spring being formed with side lugs embracing the said arm.

3. A wrench of the character described, comprising an outer jaw, a shankto which said aw is connected, an inner jaw through which the shankextends, an arm to which the inner jaw is connected, a handle havingpivotal connection with both arm and shank,

and means carried by the inner jaw arranged to be rigidly engaged withthe shank. 4:. A wrench of the character described, comprising an outerjaw, a shank to which said jaw is connected, an inner jaw through whichthe shank extends, an arm to which the inner jaw is connected, a handlehaving pivotal connection with both arm and shank, a movable blockcarried by the inner jaw and designed to engage the shank, and means forholding said block in rigid engagement with the shank.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN A. HOLMAN. [1,. s.] lVitnesses EDWARD MORRIS, L. M. SOHWABAOHER.

